ICS journalist sentenced to 12 months in prison – Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

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ICS journalist sentenced to 12 months in prison – Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

7:54 CAT | 20 Dec 2016

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The latest information on the lawsuit that led to the conviction of journalist Arlindo Victorino of the Social Communication Institute (ICS) in Macomia last week indicates that the trial hinged on his having recorded a conversation with a Mozambique Electricity (EDM) employee without her knowledge.

Our newspaper, quoting a statement from the local committee of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) at the ICS in Pemba, was incorrect in saying last week that Arlindo Victorino was sentenced to 12 months in jail, paying 30,000 meticais to the complainant and 1,990 meticais to the court, allegedly for having published a report on EDM energy restrictions.

Chale Adamo, from the local SNJ committee at the ICS, the author of the statement, said that he was also misled by his colleagues at Nacedje Community Radio in Macomia who told him that the EDM worker’s complaint was that Arlindo Victorino had spoken about alleged electricity blackouts.

The ICS representative in Cabo Delgado, Xavier Baptista, said his colleague had no lawyer to defend him during the trial. “He had no defense and we are concerned about how the Macomia court ruled the case. It ruled on the case without giving our colleague a chance to defend himself,” he said at the time.

However, when contacted to comment on the case of the journalist’s conviction, Provincial Attorney spokesman Armando Wilson, argued that the journalist was given the opportunity to defend himself but failed. Wilson also revealed that the court gave Victorino the option of converting the prison sentence into a fine.

Regarding this, Xavier Baptista stated that his institution had no money to do so. “We don’t have any money. I consulted my colleagues at the radio station and they told me that there was nothing in the bank account,” Baptista said.

Baptista also said that Victorino had not told his colleagues about the lawsuit filed by the EDM employee. “I was only told on the day of trial, which made it difficult to do anything for him,” he explained.

However, while the fine remains unpaid, Victorino risks living without his freedom for a year in full compliance with his sentence.

Source: Noticias